Eleven Chinese firms propose USD 9.21 billion investment in Bangladesh
Dhaka, June 27
Eleven Chinese companies have proposed to invest USD 9.21 billion in Bangladesh. The CEOs or business heads of these 11 different companies, representing various subsectors, met with Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on June 25 in Beijing.
The Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, Ashik Chowdhury, was also present during the meeting.
He told reporters on Saturday that, due to the newly elected government in Bangladesh, stability has returned, and they explained this stability to the investors.
Additionally, Chowdhury highlighted that Bangladesh presented a five-year tax outlook for the first time, and they emphasised these aspects of stability to the investors.
ANI has obtained a list of the Chinese firms and the size of their proposed investments. According to the list, China Future Energy Group Holding Limited, specialising in petroleum engineering and gas field investment, proposed to invest USD 250 million in the exploration and development of gas fields.
Shanghai SUS Environment Co., Ltd., one of the world's leading WTE investors and operators, has proposed to invest USD 890 million in the development of Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plants.
China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), a Chinese state-owned contractor, investor and operator, has proposed to invest USD 650 million in the development and operation of the Mongla Port Economic Zone to attract Chinese manufacturing industries, build a bonded warehouse for import purposes, make Mongla a new logistics hub, and generate 50,000 jobs.
Shenzhen Kaifa Technology Co. Ltd. proposed to invest USD 250 million in the manufacture of electric smart meters in Bangladesh.
SF Express, China's largest logistics company, has proposed to invest USD 180 million in cold-chain logistics and bonded warehouse facilities in Mongla to support e-commerce and export industries.
Huaxin Textile Industry Co. Ltd. has proposed to invest USD 190 million in the expansion of recycled cotton/yarn production, the manufacture of cylindrical lithium batteries, and the construction of a 200 MW solar power plant for its own use in the Payra Port Industrial Zone.
Zhongxin Environmental Protection Group has proposed to invest USD 1.65 billion in the establishment of an e-waste recycling and disposal industrial project in the Payra Port Industrial Zone.
CRRC Ziyang Co. Ltd. has proposed to invest USD 190 million in the establishment of a rolling stock assembly plant through a joint venture with BMTF.
Sichuan Road & Bridge Group Co. Ltd. has proposed to invest USD 4.5 billion in the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway PPP Project to enhance national connectivity and economic growth.
China Kepai Education Group has proposed to invest USD 270 million to build a modern application-oriented university and vocational education industrial park designed to accommodate 30,000 students in the long run.
China Shandong Zhongxin Pharmaceutical Co. Limited has proposed to invest USD 190 million to establish a large-scale Chinese medicinal herb cultivation industry in Bangladesh.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The waste-to-energy and e-waste recycling projects are actually very innovative. China has mastered these technologies. If Bangladesh can leverage this without losing sovereignty, it's a win-win. But the highway project at $4.5 billion raises eyebrows - that's a lot of debt.
As someone who works in logistics, the SF Express investment in cold-chain and bonded warehousing is a game changer. E-commerce in Bangladesh could explode with this infrastructure. But let's hope they don't end up like Myanmar - overly dependent on Chinese capital.
Indian media always cries "debt trap" but look at our own relations with China! We have $60 billion trade deficit with them. At least Bangladesh is getting actual investment. Their new govt seems serious about development. China is filling the gap where others hesitate.
The education investment is most interesting - 30,000 student capacity university! 😊 If China is building skills in Bangladesh, that's better than just resource extraction. But I worry about data security with Chinese smart meters and logistics systems. India should be more proactive in the neighbourhood.
I am not against China, but 9.21 billion dollars is no small change. Bangladesh's economy is $460 billion - this is 2% of their GDP! The debt servicing will be painful. Hope they have learned from Sri Lanka's mistakes. India should offer alternative financing for some of these projects.
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